Iran Is Ready to Resume Nuclear Negotiations Based on Mutual Interests and Respect

TEHRAN (Defapress) - Iranian Foreign Minister, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, in a joint press conference with Hakan Fidan, Foreign Minister of Turkey, in Istanbul on Friday, 30 January, expressed his pleasure at being in Turkey and meeting with his Turkish counterpart. He stated: "Turkey and Iran have been and remain neighbors and friends in both easy and difficult times. The history of relations between our two countries has always been fraternal and friendly throughout the centuries. In recent developments, especially during the Zionist regime's military aggression against the Iranian nation and the January incidents directed from outside the country by Israeli agents, our friends in Turkey have always been supportive and by our side, and the Turkish authorities have taken very valuable and principled positions."

He continued: "On behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I thank and appreciate the responsible positions of the President, the Foreign Minister, and other Turkish officials. I also express my gratitude for the condolences expressed by Mr. Fidan to the Iranian nation for the victims of that terrorist tragedy in January."

Araghchi added: "The two countries agree that regional developments, due to the illegitimate interventions of some extra-regional powers, are moving in a dangerous direction. The Israeli regime, with its sinister and numerous plots, seeks to drag others into war, weaken and disintegrate regional countries, and continue its expansionist ambitions."

The head of Iran's diplomatic apparatus continued: "There is a common understanding in the region that the hegemonic and warmongering nature of the Zionist regime knows no bounds and considers all nations of the region subject to its greed. This is a real and tangible danger, well understood by all countries of the region."

Araghchi emphasised: "To confront these common threats, which are carried out with the unfortunately unlimited support of the US government and some other Western governments, Islamic and regional countries must act in coordination."

Referring to his discussion with Mr. Fidan about the dangers of any new tension and its destructive effects on the security and stability of the entire region, he added: "We believe that the security of any one of the region's countries is the security of the entire region, and insecurity and war will mean war in the entire region."

Araghchi added: "We welcome any initiative that helps preserve peace and stability in the region, reduce tensions, and neutralize sinister Zionist conspiracies."

He continued: "The Islamic Republic of Iran has always had a responsible stance on using diplomatic tools to secure Iran's national interests and safeguard regional peace and stability. We are in no way ready to accept dictation and imposition. Past experiences have shown the lack of sincerity and goodwill of the United States in the discussion of negotiations."

Araghchi noted: "However, Iran is ready to participate in any diplomatic process that is meaningful, logical, and fair, and in which our legitimate and legal interests and concerns are taken into account."

He added: "The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to re-enter nuclear negotiations. The Islamic Republic of Iran has never sought nuclear weapons, and such weapons have no place in our security calculations. We have been and remain ready to build confidence regarding the peaceful nature of our nuclear program."

Araghchi said: "We are ready to enter negotiations if these negotiations are based on equal footing, mutual interests, and mutual respect. If negotiations are held fairly and justly, the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to participate in these talks and negotiations."

The head of the diplomatic apparatus noted: "We welcome the Turkish government's approach of regional ownership. We support regional dialogues aimed at establishing peace and stability in the region and are ready to participate in any dialogue between regional countries that aims to create peace, reduce tensions, and consolidate stability in the region."

He continued: "We discussed the issues of Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and other regional challenges with my dear friend Mr Fidan. As he also stated, in Syria, we want to preserve territorial integrity, end the aggressions of the Zionist regime, ensure stability, and form a government based on the votes of citizens with the participation of all segments in Syria. Ultimately, we seek the stability and unity of this country and consider it in line with regional stability."

Araghchi emphasised: "In Iraq, we believe the demands of the Iraqi people in the recent elections must be heeded. We congratulate the Iraqi people for the fair elections with high public participation, and we reject any bullying interference that denies the national sovereignty of this country."

Referring to developments in Lebanon, he said: "In Lebanon, we emphasise that a national dialogue must take place between all sects and different groups. Regarding the doctrine of Lebanon's national security strategy, the Lebanese people themselves, Lebanese groups, and Lebanese sects must decide, and we support the outcome of these dialogues."

Araghchi noted: "In Palestine and Gaza, ending the genocide of Palestinians, and the trial and punishment of criminals, is demanded by the international community. Accelerating the delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza is essential. We appreciate the efforts made by the Turkish government for peace in Gaza."

He continued: "I also sincerely thank and appreciate the constructive role of our brothers in Turkey, especially the respected President Mr Erdogan and the respected Foreign Minister Mr Fidan. We support any participation by the Turkish government to help establish peace and stability in the region and are interested in cooperation."

The head of the diplomatic apparatus continued: "We also discussed bilateral issues, expanding economic cooperation, and removing existing challenges. Due to time constraints, I will not go into details, but both sides have a serious will to expand their economic cooperation."

The Iranian Foreign Minister concluded: "Once again, I thank and appreciate the recent positions of Turkish officials, political figures, parliament representatives, parties, thinkers, elites, media, and all segments of the noble Turkish nation in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran against the conspiracies of the Zionist regime."

We have not yet scheduled a meeting with the Americans

Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, in response to a journalist's question during this press conference, said: "We have not yet scheduled a meeting with the Americans. As I said, we are ready for fair and just negotiations. The prerequisites for such negotiations must first be established, regarding the form of the talks, the venue of the talks, and the topics of the talks."

He continued: "I had very good discussions with Mr Fidan on this matter today, and we will continue these consultations with our friends in the region. I hope we can soon reach a specific framework that can guarantee honourable negotiations."

Iran's defense capabilities and missiles will never be the subject of any negotiation

The Foreign Minister continued in the press conference: "I must state firmly that Iran's defense capabilities and Iran's missiles will never be the subject of any negotiation. No country is ready to compromise on its own security and defense with another country. The security of the Iranian people is in no way related to anyone else, and we will preserve and expand our defense capabilities to any extent necessary for the defense of our country."

Another US attack on Iran would go beyond the scope of a bilateral war

The head of Iran's diplomatic apparatus, in response to another question, said: "Regarding US threats, we have said this many times, and I repeat once again; the Islamic Republic of Iran, as it is ready for negotiations, is also ready for war. We are even more prepared than before the 12-day war, and just as we responded forcefully to the aggressor forces at that time, this time will be the same."

He added: "This time, I believe that due to the direct involvement of the US, the situation will be very different from the past war, and unfortunately, it may go beyond the scope of a bilateral war, and this is the nature of the current situation. As I said before, I hope rationality prevails, and those who seek to drag the region into a full-scale war remain unsuccessful in their objectives."

Israel is trying to convince the United States to carry out a military attack against Iran

Hakan Fidan, Foreign Minister of Turkey, in this meeting with Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister of Iran, said: "We regularly meet and talk with each other regarding regional and bilateral issues. In today's meetings, many bilateral issues were examined. Regional stability and security are among the fundamental priorities of our foreign policy. We believe that for regional problems, a new solution must be created with a regional ownership approach. Whether in the Middle East, the South Caucasus, or the Balkans, we pursue our policy on this basis."

He added: "The prosperity, tranquility, and security of our neighbor are valuable to us. We closely follow developments inside Iran. Due to the loss of lives during the protests, we once again express our deep sorrow and offer condolences to the Iranian people. That these incidents have largely subsided is gratifying, and we hope this calm will be lasting."

The Turkish Foreign Minister said: "The resumption of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States in a constructive atmosphere is critically important from the perspective of reducing regional tensions. These negotiations will simultaneously pave the way for the removal of sanctions imposed on Iran and this country's integration into the international economic system. These steps will bring important achievements for all parties. Under current conditions, the normalization of relations within the framework of a new agreement seems necessary."

He continued, stating: "I once again emphasized that Turkey is ready to provide any necessary support for the peaceful resolution of issues. On the other hand, we observe that Israel is trying to convince the United States to carry out a military attack against Iran. These Israeli efforts have the potential to seriously damage the fragile stability of the region. We hope the United States acts with prudence and rationality and does not allow such a situation to arise. Israel must end its destabilizing policies in the region."

We have focused our efforts on preserving the territorial integrity and unity of Syria

Fidan said: "Another topic on our agenda was Syria. We continue to resolutely focus our efforts on preserving the territorial integrity and unity of Syria. As you know, there is a ceasefire process that was extended on January 24th. Today it was announced that an agreement on this matter was reached. We will closely monitor the implementation of this agreement. This real integration will benefit Syria; the conditions for this are clear, and the parties are aware of them. The secure transfer of prisoners from prisons to Iraq is also of great importance. On the other hand, after the parliamentary elections in our common neighbor Iraq, we are also closely following the process of forming the new government."

Iran and Turkey are two important actors in their geographical region

The Turkish Foreign Minister continued in this joint press conference: "My dear friend Mr. Araghchi and I emphasized the importance of preserving security and stability in Iraq for our country and the region. We have the willingness and determination to cooperate closely with the newly formed government of Iraq on this path. Iran and Turkey are two important actors in their geographical region. In this context, I believe that the continuation of these contacts is beneficial and necessary not only for our bilateral relations but also for regional security and prosperity. I thank Mr. Araghchi, my dear friend, for this visit and the talks we had."

All components of the Turkish government are opposed to any military intervention against Iran

He emphasized: "Our respected President and all governmental components of Turkey have on every occasion declared to all counterparts that they are opposed to any military intervention against Iran. Our respected President also spoke by phone with Mr. Pashinyan this morning. From here, we once again emphasize that for solving problems, one cannot resort to the military option, and we are opposed to resorting to the military option. We support negotiation and diplomacy. What happened in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Gaza is still fresh in our memory. While on one hand we try to heal the wounds of the past, opening another wound in the region will benefit no one."

If an issue is not resolved through negotiation, war cannot be an option

Fidan said: "We try to prevent the outbreak of any conflict that causes serious devastation and destruction in the region, and we do not even want Iran to be isolated and separated here. We want Iran to be present actively and dynamically in the international community as well. If an issue is not resolved through negotiation, war cannot be an option, and these negotiations must be expanded. Regional countries support this, and I hope we can do something in this field."

Israel should end its expansionist policies

The Turkish Foreign Minister stressed: "Israel should also end these expansionist policies of its own and recognize the Palestinian state; in this way, it both secures its own security and ensures regional tranquility, and both are important."